Preface

Belle and Adam walked hand in hand among the roses in the moonlight. The whole castle garden seemed to glisten under the stars and to any onlookers, this might have been absolutely the most beautiful and romantic picture they had ever seen. But somehow this wasn't entirely true for the royal couple.

"Adam, are you sure we aren't blowing this out of proportion? I mean, would it really be so bad to just let it be?" Belle sat down in the stone bench and looked up at her husband with her huge hazel eyes. Subconsciously, her hand held her stomach and she stroked it lovingly.

Adam kneeled beside her and placed his hand on Belle's. "Oh, mon ange, I know this seems like an exaggeration but I really do believe it is for the best if our child never knows about the Enchantment or anything that took place while I was a- a beast."

"But why would it be so bad?" Belle asked, slightly indignant that her child should be kept from such a beautiful story.

"Because so many things could go wrong. Our child could speak of it to an outsider by accident and would end up with people thinking our child was mad, or our child would think we were mad or wouldn't trust us because we would have been 'lying'. The possibilities are endless." He sighed and looked down. "or," he murmured quietly, "our child would be repulsed with the idea that it's father was a beast for ten years."

Belle cupped his face with her free hand and stroked his cheek lovingly with her thumb. "You need to have more faith in people, my love. I loved you despite your appearance. And I've never thought ill of you because of it. Why should our child be any different?" Adam looked up at her with an expression in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. She hesitated, "But, if it means that much to you, I'll support you. Our child will never know."

Little did they know that this was easier said than done.